Resisting the Irresistible
by sglatte
Summary: Tag to Irresistible. How did Sheppard react when everyone went nuts for Lucius? How did Lucius get to Rodney?


RESISTING THE IRRESISTIBLE

Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and all its wonderful characters are not mine. Toni is. They're just playing together for a bit.

Tag/Missing Scenes to "Irresistible"

The sun was just dropping behind the horizon, setting the sea ablaze with reds and pinks. The surface of Atlantis shimmered like a jewel. It was one of those picture perfect evenings.

Colonel John Sheppard walked along one of the outside terraces, accompanied by the new woman in his life, Dr. Toni Beck, the expedition's resident marine biologist. He knew he should be enjoying the walk, especially the company, but the congestion in his head made is brain ache.

"I went over my request for survey buoys with Elizabeth. She thinks getting approval shouldn't be a problem, especially if it could help supplement our stores." Toni spoke, but could tell John wasn't focused. She stopped, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Hey, you okay?"

"Fine," he scoffed. Running his fingers through her hair, brushing it back from her shoulders, he leaned closer to kiss her…when he jerked to the side, sneezing hard.

"Bless you." Toni frowned. "You're still stuffed up."

"Not a big deal." He snuffed and coughed. "It's fine."

"It's a cold."

"Yeah, well, maybe you shouldn't get too close then." He cleared his throat. "I don't want you to get it."

She laughed, putting her arms back around him anyway. "I don't think it would matter much at this point. I think I got all the exposure I could last night."

"True," he smirked. There was plenty of exposure going on.

"Did you go see Carson?"

"It's not that bad." It was barely out of his mouth when he sneezed again.

"John…"

"What?' His eyebrows drew together. "I just don't like to take anything unless I absolutely have to. Cold medicines make me feel all funky."

"I have an idea then." Toni smiled. "Why don't you head back to your quarters while I go pick something up, and I'll meet you in the shower in twenty minutes."

"That sounds promising." John smiled back.

A few minutes later, Toni briskly walked down the hall towards one of the labs. She tapped her com. "Dr. Brown?"

Katie Brown, one of the botanists, quickly answered. "Yes?"

"It's Toni, are you in the green house? Can I bother you for a favor?"

"I'll be here for a few more minutes. What do need?" She and the marine biologist had been working together recently after a discovery of water plant in an estuary. It grew rapidly and showed potential medicinal value. Katie enjoyed her company. Besides, they were able to commiserate when both John and Rodney were off world.

"Do you have any of the eucalyptus-type oil that I could have?"

"From the altana-mellidora? Sure."

"Great," Toni smiled. "I'm almost there."

A few minutes later she turned the corner to the botany labs, running into McKay. "Oh, hey. What are you doing here?"

"Picking something up from Katie. You?"

"Picking up Katie." Rodney smiled wide.

"Good for you." Toni bumped his shoulder with her own. They walked into the oxygen rich lab full of plants together. The shelves overflowed with potted samples of plant life from the mainland. It smelled of soil and flowers. She liked it here.

"Toni?" The botanist called out from the corner of the room as she came into view. "Oh, hi!" Katie flushed when she realized McKay was there as well.

"Um, hi." He smiled back, acting as if he didn't know what to do with his hands.

Toni fought back a grin. After all this time, the two of them still acted as if they weren't sure what to do in each other's presence. She thought it was cute. "Can I please get some of the oil from you? Then I'll get out of you hair."

"Absolutely." Katie went to one of the cabinets, pulling out a plastic bottle. "What do you need it for?"

"John's got a cold."

"Huh?" Rodney looked between them. Katie obviously understood.

"It's basically eucalyptus oil." Toni offered.

"Oh. Okay, I see. To, uh, clear his head." McKay motioned to his face.

"Yep. Thanks, Katie." Toni headed to the door. "You guys have fun."

0o0o0o0o0

His door chimed. John pulled himself off his bed, feeling the shift in his sinuses. He had no idea what Toni planned, but he hoped it would help.

"Come on… let's get you in the shower."

"Now there's something I like to hear when a woman walks into my quarters." He grinned.

"Oh yeah, get that often do you?" She teased.

"Are you kidding? All the time." He lied.

After a few minutes he stood in the steaming hot water, already feeling better. Toni handed him a soapy cloth. When it hit the hot water he smelled it. The scent ate through the congestion and he breathed deep. It felt so good.

"Wash you chest with that and breathe in as much as you can." Toni poked her head into the shower.

"Aren't you going to join me?"

"Nope." She smiled. "If that works the way it should, hopefully a lot of that gunk will break up."

"Well, then wait for me."

"Alright, but take all the time you want. Okay? I'm just going to read for a while." She left him in the hot steam and stretched out on his bed with her handheld. She had research to read through.

By the time John emerged from the bathroom, his fingers and toes were waterlogged. Still, the stuff helped. He'd coughed and sneezed enough to relieve a fair amount of the congestion.

He found Toni asleep on his bed. She'd taken off her shoes and changed into a pair of his sweat pants and a t-shirt. Her handheld was beside her, having fallen asleep while reading. He silently moved about the small room, putting on sweats and a tee and pulling out a spare blanket. John spooned tightly behind her, covering them, and closed his eyes.

John woke some time later. He couldn't help it. He sat up and began coughing again. Toni rolled over. He was sitting on the edge of the bed. "Sorry. Don't mean to wake you."

"It's okay. What time is it?"

"Late."

"'Kay," she spoke into the pillow. "Come 'ere." She held up her arm.

He stretched out beside her, feeling her curl around his back this time. John laid there for a while, feeling her drift back to sleep, her breath lulling him. It had been a long time since he made a habit of sleeping beside someone. It felt good.

A sneeze broke free again. Toni's hand stroked his chest. She mumbled something into his back, but never fully woke up. She didn't gripe about him waking her, she just stayed. He was only recently able to admit, even to himself, how much it meant.

_I really need a bigger bed_, he thought as he drifted off.

0o0o0o0o0

"Well." Colonel Sheppard tuned away from the display. "That does it. M.A.L.P. found life signs. Looks like it's going to be a recon mission."

Rodney's shoulders dropped as he threw his head back. "Are you serious?"

John coughed, then slapped McKay on the shoulder. "Yep."

"But, we should be…"

"Rodney," Elizabeth smiled. "You know the protocol. There will be plenty of opportunities to look for space gates for the bridge."

"Yeah, so let's get this over with so you can try another gate address as soon as we're done." Sheppard smirked. The cocky look was interrupted by another sneeze.

"Are you okay?" Weir asked.

"Just a cold. I'm fine."

"Alright, Colonel." She nodded. "Get your team together. You leave in an hour."

He nodded, and left the control room to get everything together. John contacted Ronon and Teyla, confirmed the jumper and supplies were prepped, and ran off to do one more thing before he left.

He got to the marine lab only to find it empty. All the lights shone. The computers were on. The tanks that lay stagnant for ten thousand years now housed jellyfish, small orange and black fish, and larger silvery fish.

"Toni?"

"Down here!" She responded.

On the far side of the lab, a lift went down to a glass enclosure beneath the city. It served as an observation room. John found her there, sitting on the floor with her laptop and a digital video camera. Beyond the glass he could see something that looked a turtle the size of a Volkswagen. It circled lazily, followed be a school of small white fish.

"Hey." Toni stood up. "Are you heading out?"

He nodded and cleared his scratchy throat.

She bit back the urge to ask if he was okay. She knew the answer, so there was no point in asking it. "How long?"

"Don't know. Probably just today. I wanted to come down and let you know." John knew he didn't have to, she didn't ask him to. He just felt better when he did.

"I appreciate that." She leaned closer to him. "Be safe."

"I will." He kissed her lightly. "I've got to get going, though."

"Okay." Toni cleared the tickle from her throat.

"You've got it, don't you?"

"Yeah, but not bad." She smiled at the look of remorse on his face. "Hey, it's worth it. Catching your cold or staying away for days on end? No brainer."

"Okay." John pressed his lips to her forehead. "Feel better."

"You too." She pushed him back. "Better get."

He squeezed her hand and left.

0o0o0o0o0

Leaving the backwater hamlet, as Rodney called it…

"Can you believe that guy?" Sheppard spat as soon as they left the village.

"He was very… irksome." Teyla said tightly.

"Yeah, I thought you were going to gut him." Ronon laughed, "Being wife material and all."

The look on her face had been priceless. John laughed as well. Unfortunately, it morphed into a cough.

"At least the food was decent." McKay commented. "I just can't believe that Lucius has all those wives."

"Well, he apparently has _gifts_." John scoffed. "I don't think I could take another minute around that guy."

"Nor do I." Teyla picked up the pace a little.

"Yes, well, lets get back. There are addresses to scout and gates to gather." McKay jogged to catch up to Teyla.

Sheppard only rolled his eyes.

Upon returning to Atlantis, Dr. Weir met them in the jumper bay. Ronon and Teyla took off from there, not being needed for a debriefing. They filled in Elizabeth on the village and the infinitely annoying Lucius. Rodney was gnawing at the bit to move on to the next gate to investigate.

M3R-482 had a gate in orbit around the planet. They needed to verify no one inhabited the planet or relied on the gate. As the jumper emerged from the gate, the first thing both Sheppard and McKay noticed was the apparent lack of water.

"Looks pretty dry." John called up the scanners on the HUD.

"This could be good." Rodney ran through the data the scans collected. "No water means little to no life. Very inhospitable. I like it. I like it. No cities, or villages, or anything."

"Easy. We've got a whole planet to look at." John sneezed. "God, I can't wait until I can breathe again."

"Did that oil stuff help?"

"What?" He looked sideways at McKay. "How'd you know about that?"

"I, ah, ran into Toni when she came to get it from Katie." Rodney explained rapidly. "I was, ah, picking her up – Katie, that is – to go to a late dinner. So, um, did it work?"

"For a while." John's face scrunched up. He really hoped this wasn't going to turn into one of those guy-talk conversations. Rodney was totally lost when it came to Katie Brown. "So, how's it looking?"

"What? Oh, the planet. So far, so good. No discernable life signs and no evidence of a settlement." McKay looked through the data. "I think we have a good one."

"Great." John coughed again. "Let's hope the rest of the planet reads the same way so we can get back. I'm ready to call it a day."

"What? I've got a whole list of gates to scout."

"Rodney, by the time we get done here and report our findings, it'll be late." He cleared his throat. "And I feel like shit."

"Yeah, okay." Rodney knew the Colonel was sick. "But…"

"Rodney."

"Yeah, okay."

0o0o0o0o0

"I don't know, but this guy was a joke and the villagers were falling over themselves to please him. It was creepy." Sheppard stretched out with his feet on Toni's desk. He met her for a quick dinner, but neither of them felt very good, so they went back to her quarters.

"I suppose every society has their own unique tastes. Maybe this guy fits their perfect picture."

John scoffed.

"Hey, stranger things have happened." Toni stretched out on her bed.

"Maybe." He chewed his lip, fairly certain that there was something suspect about Lucius.

"So, he hit on Teyla?"

"Yeah," John chuckled. "She showed remarkable restraint." He got up from the chair and crawled up beside Toni. He didn't want to think about the village or Lucius. All that mattered at that moment was getting some rest and feeling better. Not necessarily in that order. He kissed her neck, pulling her close.

She purred at the feeling. "You must be feeling better."

"Not really." He moved her hair aside and nibbled at the spot beneath her ear. "But you feel pretty damn good." She wrapped herself around him, kissing him back. They were lazy, slow kisses.

"Definitely worth catching the cold." Toni giggled, as she tugged at his shirt.

0o0o0o0o0

"Colonel Sheppard, please report to the isolation room immediately."

John opened his eyes, blinking at the bright rising sun streaming through the window. He groaned, looking up to the speaker in the ceiling. Toni reached behind her to grab his com from the night table. Putting it on, he called for Elizabeth. She stretched out on her back, listening to John's side of the conversation.

He got up, throwing on his clothes and pulling on his boots.

"I've got to go." John leaned over, kissing her briefly. "Apparently, Beckett brought a new friend home."

"What? This Lucius guy?"

"Mmm-Hmm." The annoyance was evident on his face. "I'll talk to you later. Go back to sleep."

Reaching the isolation room, he found Elizabeth pacing back and forth in the hall. "What happened?"

"I can not believe Carson brought that," Dr Weir bit back what she really wanted to say. "That _man_ here without approval."

Sheppard knew that look. It was the same look Teyla had yesterday. "What'd he do? Tell you you're marriage material, too?" He teased.

"No, just leered at me…all over me." She shuttered.

"This guy rubs me the wrong way too." John understood. "Is he in there?" He motioned to the isolation room.

"Yes." She confirmed. "Carson and Rodney are in the observation room."

"Well, let's get in there and figure out what to do from here."

0o0o0o0o0

After returning from another scouting mission, Sheppard stood in Weirs office, still not believing what was going on.

"Well, Rodney and I need to, eh, get all the stuff transferred from the jumper so we can get ready for the next scout." John felt like he'd fallen into an episode of the Twilight Zone, as he stood there looking at his team practically worshiping a bad candle in stupid gourd.

"Um, yeah." Rodney took a step toward the door.

"But Lucius...John, really you should get to know him." Elizabeth put her hand on his arm.

"Maybe later. We really have to get this work done. Okay?" John eyed Rodney and they both made a fast exit. Neither of them spoke until they were well away from Stargate Operations.

"I can't believe Elizabeth and Teyla were clinging to him." Rodney said quietly to Sheppard as the left Elizabeth's office. He looked over, seeing the Colonel chewing his lip. "Oh God, you don't think he would…that they would…that he…"

"Would _take advantage_ of them?" John growled out. "He damn well better not. I'll kill him myself. Everyone he's coming in contact with is going nuts."

"I know. It seemed like half of the staff was in the mess. We have to do something about this. I mean…" Rodney saw Sheppard's frown deepen. "What?"

"We need to find out what happened while we were gone, but we can't let them know we're doing it." There was something else he needed to do too. He was certain he hadn't seen Toni in the mess hall, but he wanted to make sure she wasn't affected. He didn't want Lucius going anywhere near her.

"I can get into the security systems from my lab. No problem."

"Okay, you go get started and I'm going to check on a few things. Just do your best to avoid anyone acting weird and, above all, stay away from Lucius." Sheppard stepped up to the transporter. "I'll meet you in you lab."

He left the transporter and hustled down to the marine lab. It was away from most of the other labs. Toni said there were days when no one even walked down the hall out side of her lab. Hopefully, no one even thought about her being there.

"Toni," he called out as the doors opened. It was useless, though, the room was dark. He really didn't want to call on the coms for her. There was no way of knowing who would be around. Better to check her quarters first.

Leaving the lab, he sprinted to the transporter. Back among the living quarters, he slowed his pace. Thankfully, though, he only passed two others in the halls. John didn't bother ringing at the door, instead just letting himself in.

"Toni!"

She let out a little squeak as she came out of the bathroom at the same time he called her name. "Jesus," she breathed. "Don't scare me like that."

"How are you feeling?"

She wondered why he was looking at her so strangely. "The same… like warmed over death. Why?"

"Have you, ah, been introduced to anyone new today?" She seemed like herself, but he wanted to be sure.

"No." He was worrying her. "John, tell me what's going on."

He pulled her into a tight hug, talking into her hair. "Promise me to stay here and lay low. Don't talk to anyone."

"John, what's happened?" Toni pulled back enough to look at him.

"It's that Lucius guy." His face was tight with frustration. "Everyone who's come into contact with him is falling under some sort of weird influence. So, until Rodney and I figure this out, you need to promise me you'll stay away from this guy."

"Of course," Toni agreed. She turned away, sneezing and coughing. John rubbed his warm hand across her back until she stopped.

"Bless you. You okay?"

"Yeah, I will be. Who all are we talking about here?"

"Just about everyone…Ronon, Teyla, Radek, even Elizabeth."

"But Teyla loathes him."

"Well now she's looking at him all ga-ga and playing footsies with him." John growled out. "That's why I want you to stay away from everyone. Got it?"

"Yeah, I promise." She kissed him briefly. "What are you going to do?"

"Rodney and I will figure something out."

"Okay. Be careful."

"Promise." John left, heading to McKay's lab.

0o0o0o0o0

Sheppard took off to the village. Rodney cross referenced the data the mass spectrometer gave him. All this medical stuff was not his area of expertise. Still, he could figure out enough to guess that the tonic Lucius drank made him give off some sort of pheromone. It must affect the brain chemistry some how. If Sheppard got back with more, he could run a few more tests to be sure.

"Hey, McKay."

Rodney looked up. Ronon and Lucius walked into his lab. Instinctively, he kept the table between them. "Hey."

Lucius smiled wide, looking like an over zealous car salesman. "Oh, the big guy and I were talking and you came up. I thought, you know, that's a man I want to get to know."

"Well, yes, ah, thanks, but…" Rodney stammered, still trying to keep the table between himself and Lucius. "It's just that I'm really, really busy. I know, maybe you could, ah, come back, say in the morning. I'd be happy to get together then."

"Naw, I'd like to get to know you right now." Lucius shook his head, still smiling.

"Ah, listen…"

Ronon grabbed McKay by the front of the jacket. "He wants to talk now."

"Listen to me, Ronon." Rodney squeaked. "He's messing with your mind. You can't do this. Please. I need to find out how…"

"You just don't know him yet." The big Satedan held the scientists up against the wall. McKay's feet barely touched the floor.

"Yeah," Lucius spoke up against McKay's face. "You just don't know me yet."

"I don't want to know you!"

Ronon slammed him against the wall.

"Now, Ronon, there's no need to hurt him. I just want the chance to talk to him, to let him know what a great friend I can be."

McKay tried to turn his head away from Lucius. He even tried holding his breath. The whole time Lucius continued to talk to him. His voice was so…enthralling.

0o0o0o0o0

Toni was reading on her bed, when she heard several people laughing just outside her door. She recognized Ronon's laugh immediately. She looked around, thinking what to do. The door chimed.

She grabbed her oversized football sweatshirt, pulling it on. She mussed her hair and rubbed her eyes hard to smudge what little mascara she wore. The door chimed again, she grabbed a soft hand towel and went to answer it.

Taking a deep breath, she coughed hard as she opened the door. There stood Ronon, McKay and a dumpy dark haired stranger. She forced a sneeze.

His eager smile turned somewhat disappointed. "Isn't she…lovely."

"Toni, you've got to meet this guy." Ronon exclaimed brightly.

"Now?" She croaked.

"You don't look so good." Ronon seemed to see her for the first time.

"I'm sick, Ronon. I fell like crap." She coughed into the towel again. "Dr. Wilks gave me something for it and I'd really like to go back to bed." She turned to Lucius, looking as pathetic as she could. "I don't mean to be rude, but I'd hate for anyone else to catch it." She coughed more.

"Maybe later then." Lucius forced a smile.

"You want me to call for Beckett?" Rodney looked genuinely concerned.

"No," She shook her head. "I just need to sleep. Okay? Bye."

Toni stepped back and closed the door. Crap. John was on his own.

A few hours later, Toni sat in the window of her room, trying to read some research material. In truth, she was worrying. Every bit of her wanted to go out there and find out what was happening, but she knew she may well end up caught up in it as well. Besides, she'd promised to stay put.

Her door opened. John came in, dressed in full gear. He looked about to shoot something.

"John?" Toni put down her computer.

"That creepy low-life cowardly bastard sent Ronon, Teyla and Beckett – for God's sake – to a Wraith infested planet to get a fucking herb! And Elizabeth said they were _just helping a friend, there's nothing wrong with that_…bullshit, everything if wrong with that! They've all gone fucking nuts…and if those people on his planet are any indication, they're turning into Lucius junkies. He's like obnoxious crack!"

"They got to Rodney."

"Oh, I know." John rolled his eyes. "Now he's looking at me like there's something wrong with me. Wait. How'd you know?"

"Ronon and Rodney brought him by earlier."

"What? You're okay?"

"Yeah," She gave him a half smile. "I threw on my frumpiest sweats and hacked up half a lung on him. I was at my finest. If these doors could slam, I would have slammed it in his face."

"Good." He unzipped his vest, throwing it on the bed. "I need a plan."

0o0o0o0o0

Toni worked in one of the medical research labs with Dr. Wilks. She filled syringes, laying them out in five milliliter doses as the doctor produced more of the anti-agent to the herb. She looked up as Carson came into the room. "We're nearly done."

"We're going to need to get to Elizabeth first." Dr. Wilks had been affected. However once Beckett had the serum complete, Sheppard held him down while Carson administered the shot.

"What's your story?" Toni continued to work. "I don't think everyone will voluntarily step up for a shot without knowing what it is."

"You, lass." He smiled. "Initially, anyway. We plan on telling them you've contracted a highly contagious, exotic strain of bronchitis. We'll tell them it's an inoculation."

She nodded. "Ronon and Rodney came to my quarters earlier."

"Very well, they're as good of a place to start as any." Carson nodded to Wilks

"Dr. Weir? It's Dr. Wilks."

"Yes, doctor."

"I've just finished running some blood work on Dr. Beck and I've afraid I've identified a rather nasty virus. It's rather contagious and causes severe bronchial distress. I want to inoculate everyone she's come in contact with over the last forty-eight hours. Just to be safe."

"Oh no." came Rodney's voice. "Ronon and I took Lucius to see her earlier today. Is he going to be alright?"

"I'm sure he'll be fine. For now, why don't the two of you come down here. Dr. Weir, you probably should too." Dr. Wilks urged.

"Very well, doctor. We'll be there shortly." She answered.

Carson and Toni waited out of sight initially. They listened as Rodney and Elizabeth worried over Lucius' welfare. All went quiet after a few minutes. Then they heard her say, "What the hell was I thinking?"

"I know the feeling." Carson stepped out of his office.

"What just happened?" Ronon looked around, confused.

Rodney, on the other hand, understood completely. "Aw, crap."

Carson explained what had happened. Even though they all understood the circumstances, they were all suffering extreme embarrassment. Toni stayed silent, only being able to imagine what they must be feeling.

"We have to give everyone this inoculation, right away." Elizabeth gathered her composure. "How long will John be away."

"Until you call for him." Toni offered.

"Very well." She nodded. "Doctor, we have a lot of work to do." Beckett pulled her aside to develop a plan.

"Hey." Toni felt Ronon place his hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry. I never should have brought him to you."

She smiled up at him. He'd become very much like a brother over recent weeks. Their bond developed very quickly. "Nothing to apologize for, Ronon. I know you would never willfully do anything to hurt me."

"Well, you can apologize to me. You held me up against a wall." Rodney scowled.

"Yeah," Ronon grinned. "Sorry."

0o0o0o0o0

"I've got him locked up for the moment." John reported. "Beckett said the villagers have all taken the serum. They seem to understand what happened. I say we take him back."

"I imagine there will some people who are very angry with him." Elizabeth leaned forward with her elbows on her desk. "Will he be safe if we take him back?"

"Do we really care?" Ronon scowled.

Elizabeth tilted her head, silently conceding she felt the same way.

"So we're good to get rid of him?" Sheppard stood.

"I suppose so." Elizabeth agreed.

As the team left her office, Rodney asked. "Care if I drive?"

John smiled. "Sure, go right ahead."

Rodney beamed. "Fantastic."


End file.
